Pelican head coach Richard V. Simmons huddles with his team after they beat Atlanta 61-59 for the boys Class C championship at Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, LA. Friday, March 8, 2013. Willis Sudds, in orange is excited about the win as well. (David Grunfeld, NOLA.com |The Times-Picayune)

Monroe – When his team needed him the most, Pelican’s star player stepped up in the biggest way possible.

Zikiteran “Zeek” Woodley scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and converted a three-point with 12 seconds to play to give Pelican the lead for good as the Jaguars held on for a 61-59 victory in the Class C state championship game.

Woodley finished with 28 points and seven rebounds and helped carry Pelican to back-to-back state championships in what might be the school’s final game.

“I was just doing anything I could to win,” Woodley said. “This is my last game but they talking about closing. I didn’t want to give anyone seconds thoughts on whether or not we love basketball.”

Pelican Coach Richard Simmons said after the game that the DeSoto Parish School Board will meet next Thursday to discuss whether or not to close Pelican All Saints High School and that the Jaguars could have very well played their last game.

Simmons said he stressed to his team at halftime about the importance of rebounding and his team responded with a vengeance in the third quarter. The Jaguars outrebounded Atlanta 20-8 in the third quarter, pulling down 12 offensive rebounds.

Pelican used that rebounding advantage to outscore Atlanta 18-10 in the quarter and turn a four-point halftime deficit into a 42-38 lead. Simmons said that stretching out the team’s defense and pressing the Bulldogs after Atlanta took a 34-26 lead in the third quarter seemed to energize his players.

“I knew we could press them but I knew these guys were sick too,” said Simmons, referencing the fact that Woodley and guard Carnelius Holmes missed practice time this week with separate illnesses. “I didn’t want to (press) too early. But when you get down eight, you got to do something.”

The fourth quarter featured 10 of the game’s 23 lead changes and Atlanta took its final lead with 22 seconds left to play when Kentrel Sapp knocked down two free throws after a Pelican turnover.

Everyone in the gym knew who the ball was going to next but it didn’t matter. Quartez Smith got the ball to Woodley who recognized that 5-foot-6 eighth grader Lashard Powell was guarding him. Woodley spun to the basket and was fouled by Atlanta’s Anonio County but still made the basket. He then hit the free throw to push the game to 61-59.

“I tried to get position on the player,” Woodley said. “I just made the and-one. I recognized that before I got the ball. I knew that he was little and I have the bigger body.”

Atlanta center Steve Evans came through with what might be one of the top plays of the Top 28 so far with his drop-step dunk on two Pelican defenders gave the Bulldogs a 45-44 lead early in the fourth quarter after Evans followed the dunk with a free throw.

Evans said he was doing what he could to energize his team after a sluggish third quarter that Evans spent the final three minutes of on the bench after picking up his third foul.

“I was trying to get my teammates involved and just play harder,” said Evans who finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals.

Atlanta’s Kentrel Sapp finished with 22 points and six rebounds while Taren Sapp I finished with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Pelican’s Alize Elam finshed with 10 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, including seven offensive rebounds, and Holmes had 12 points, including eight of Pelican’s first 10 points in the first quarter.